Life is never dull or lacking colour at the City Ground, at least not beyond the boundaries of a fourth round draw that saw them handed an entirely beige looking trip to face Hull City in the fourth round.

But nine days and two games after the decision to part company with Mark Warburton, it is Aitor Karanka who will be the latest man charged with the not inconsiderable task of finally bringing some stability and success to the Championship club.

He was not in the country but, if the 44-year-old did watch the Reds’ impressive 4-2 success over Premier League Arsenal unfold on television on Sunday night, he will almost certainly have been encouraged by the performance produced by an exciting young Forest side that has never been short of potential – only of consistency.

Arsene Wenger’s side was one that had amassed more than 600 Premier League appearances between them, as well as including a World Cup winner and two England internationals.

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But they were swept aside by a blend of youth and experience in the Forest ranks, that produced the most positive, most exciting team display that had been witnessed all season.

Karanka was thought to be holding out for another opportunity in the Premier League, but has been persuaded that Forest is the right project for him to take on, after parting company with Middlesbrough back in March.

New Forest boss Aitor Karanka

His departure came at a time when – having led them to promotion to the top flight – they seemed to be on an inevitable slide back into the second tier. But it is not that frustrating failure that has earned him an opportunity at the City Ground, but the notable success that came before it.

Forest wanted a manager who is capable of leading them to promotion to the top tier for the first time in almost two decades and, in Karanka, they have exactly that.

He has proved as much already. He is a proven Championship manager.

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And, while the struggle against relegation was one that brought accusations of overly negative football and a reliance on being hard to beat amid the high intensity of the top flight, the same was far from true as Boro forged a path to the promised land.

He is not a man who should be defined by Middlesbrough’s time in the Premier League alone, but by the three seasons he spent at the Riverside overall.

Warburton would often describe Forest as being an oil tanker that needed plenty of time and effort to turn around.

Aitor Karanka during his days as Middlesbrough boss (Image: Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Karanka might have struggled to manoeuvre the very huge, very real tanker that was moored in the waters next to the Riverside.

But he unquestionably turned around the metaphorical one, as after he had followed in the footsteps of Tony Mowbray as Boro manager, in November 2013.

And, as Warburton had argued at Forest, it took Karanka a little time at Middlesbrough too.

But there was steady progress along the way; a slow, considered climb back to where ambitious owner Steve Gibson wanted them to be.

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Middlesbrough lost 2-0 to Norwich City in the 2014/15 play-off final, at the end of Karanka’s first full season in charge, after narrowly missing out on automatic promotion.

But, in the following season, there was a growing sense they would make it over the finishing line this time around – and they did, claiming second place, behind Burnley.

Just as Forest escaped relegation by merit of goal difference alone last season, Middlesbrough only edged out third-placed Brighton by two goals, after finishing level on 89 points.

Gary Brazil (Image: Dan Westwell)

The 63 goals Middlesbrough scored that season was only the eighth best in the division – and was 10 less than top scorers Brighton managed. But the 31 goals they conceded was the lowest in the division by some margin.

And, following the defensive fragility of the last few months, it would be no bad thing if Karanka can instil similar qualities into Forest now.

Even in the space of two matches, Gary Brazil’s short tenure has already demonstrated that small changes can make a big difference.

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Brazil put Forest under less pressure to play the ball out from the back than Warburton and, almost immediately, the Reds looked more assured – and less likely to play themselves into trouble.

And, at the same time, their rampaging performance against the Gunners provided evidence of a side that is brimming with energy and attacking threat.

Karanka does not inherit a squad that requires endless rebuilding, only minor tinkering and a sprinkling of additional experience.

The priorities will remain the same in January. Forest will need an additional central defender, another midfielder and a goalkeeper, with any additional firepower added to the frontline probably regarded as a bonus.

Paul Heckingbottom

But Karanka will arrive with a thorough knowledge of Championship players – and will swiftly be able to assemble a shortlist of targets, with a little over three weeks of the window still remaining.

Forest have shown great perseverance to get their primary target. They explored other options while they worked on persuading Karanka that it was the right move for him – with Paul Heckingbottom regarded as a strong potential alternative.

Now they must show patience, as they look to bring the stability to the club that was at the core of the enticing blueprint for the future they presented to fans, around the time of Warburton’s appointment.

What they have in Karanka is a man very much revived and refreshed and ready for a new challenge, or project, as seems to be the favoured modern description of such things.

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Only today, Karanka published an interesting, very personal blog about his time at Middlesbrough on coaching website The Coaches’ Voice.

And the final few paragraphs of it seemed to have a particularly pertinent sense of timing.

“I had three really good seasons at Middlesbrough, but it all went by really quickly and I needed time to realise just how much I had learned, to think about everything I had done well and the things that I didn’t do so well. To learn from my mistakes, to travel, to gain things from other coaches around the world and refresh my mind,” he wrote.

“That period of reflection has now come to an end. I think this is the best league in the world, and I would like to stay here a long time. Now I feel refreshed, with a very clear idea of what I want and how I want to move forward in my managerial career.

“I want to develop a good project. I feel everything is in place in my mind and that I have the confidence after this period of reflection. Now I am ready for a new challenge.”

Forest will hope they will be the ones to benefit from the lessons Karanka learned not only at Middlesbrough, but at Real Madrid before that, where he was assistant to Jose Mourinho.

It remains to be seen whether Karanka turns out to be Forest’s ‘Special One’. But, as Karanka becomes the 10th permanent boss in a little less than six years, if he turns out to be the right one, it would be a decent starting point.